What do you think Leave Out All The Rest means?

Linkin Park: Leave Out All The Rest Meaning

Album cover for Leave Out All The Rest album cover

Song Released: 2008


Leave Out All The Rest Lyrics

I dreamed I was missing
You were so scared
But no one would listen
Cause no one else cared

After my dreaming
I woke with this fear
What am I leaving
When I'm done here

So if you're asking me
I want you to know

[Chorus]
When my...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 19th 2010 !⃝

    The first time I heard this song was when I was trying to find songs for a funeral soundtrack. It fit my brother so well. He had a life full of delinquency and given his childhood it was not surprising. He tried to do right by so many people in his life, yet his past haunted him and he was never able to fully break free of the "wrong" that he did. Aside from those who really knew him he would seem like a bad person, but he was so much more. This song spoke to me and let me know I needed to "help [him] leave behind some reasons to be missed". The lyrics and the entire song are a perfect fit to his life, and that is the interpretation I take away, however I feel that several other interpretations would be fitting as well.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    CanoliChan
    click a star to vote
    Jan 20th 2008 !⃝

    Um.... I've always been reminded of my grandmother when I listen to this. She was really shallow, and was addicted to smoking and crap like that. I think she was even in prison once.

    She died recently, and my family had to write a eulogy for her. We found ourselves struggling to find out what something good she could be remembered for.

    Which corresponds with the lyrics:
    'When my time comes, forget the wrongs that I've done, help me leave behind some... reasons to be missed. Don't resent me, and when you're feeling empty, keep me in your memory, leave out all the rest.'

    In short, it's about a person that has done some really bad things, and wonders if they were to die, if anyone would miss them and/or remember them in a good way.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 14th 2008 !⃝

    Tbh I don't think death comes into this song at all,
    i think it's about someone whos had a tough relationship with someone,
    but is still with them,
    but its kinda hangin by a thread if you know what I mean,

    and he feels there the only person that cares about him,
    and he's asking when the end comes (not necessarily death although probably) to be remembered for good things,
    to be kept alive by their memory,
    to leave out all the wrongs
    she/he is to hide that hurt as they always have done,
    pretending that he can do it without her,
    when he can't really,
    but he has to pretend for her sake
    he can't be as strong as her,
    he can't be who she is,

    shes stronger then him,
    he wants her to share the burden
    he acts like the strong one,
    but really its her,
    neither of them are perfect,
    so when the relationship ends remember him for the good things,
    and don't remember his weakness.

    he can't help being weak

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 22nd 2023 !⃝

    Well I think you could interpret several things.
    The most obvious one would be that there are two people seemingly close to eachother. One of them is looking back, at the life that he/she lived.
    After seeing everthing they've done wrong.
    He/she asks if he/she done something good to remembered by.

    Asking to be remembered by the good things, rather than the bad.

    The other interpretation that I'm seeing is the following.

    It could be a dialoge between oneself.

    He/She imangined/dreamed about beeing gone.
    Afraid that no one would would remember him/her, because he/she has done nothing to be remembered by.

    Trying to push away all the bad thoughts about oneself, to create good memorys to be remembered by.

    Seeing that not everybody is perfect, that everyone got a package to carry, gets him/her more in touch with themself.

    Realising that the onlyone that could save/help them, is oneself. Hiding behind all the pain, isn't going to change a thing. He/she just has to be him/herself.

    I hope this view is somewhat understandable. Sry for my grammar.
    Much love and good friends!
    Never loose hope!

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 7th 2022 !⃝

    To me it feels like a scream out with Chester suffering. I'm currently suffering as well and I feel I relate to this song so much. Cause if I commit, would anyone actually remember me? Would anyone actually care that I've gone? "remembering all the hurt you learned to hide so well" putting a mask up to the world and faking it all, like what Chester did before he couldn't fight anymore

  6. LinkinParkFan2022
    click a star to vote
    May 22nd 2022 !⃝

    The meaning of this song is that Chester was dreaming that he was missing, and the person he was with was scared. I think that Chester was trying to tell us to leave out all the rest of the pain and suffering that we've been through. He was also telling us to keep him in our memories. It's a very touching song. It reminds me of when I lost a lot of good people in my life.

  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 5th 2021 !⃝

    It is definatly a song about depression.. Doing wrong things in past and want it all forgotten about when hes gone.. Just remember the good parts of their life and forget the rest

  8. User19
    click a star to vote
    May 28th 2021 !⃝

    I think that this is a conversation between god and a person
    The person has now acknowledged all the bad things that has done and is probably praying God for forgiveness

    "cause no one else cared"
    -According to the Christian religion, God does care for all of us, so although no human ever worried about that person, God always loved him.

    "When MY time comes"
    -Day of Reckoning, God will judge every one of us, so when the person's turn comes...-

    "Leave out all the rest"
    -God remember me for the good things I've done and forget the rest...


    So..
    I think it's about the forgiveness we ask from God..

  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 19th 2020 !⃝

    Leave out all the rest is an easier song to figure out. This is a person, particularly a person who has struggled in the past, speaking. They are delivering the message to loved ones that they are dying or dead. They don't know where they'll go. Heaven or hell. They are telling their family that wherever they go, to not remember them for their problems. To help them find something good to remember them for, and leave out all the rest.

  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 4th 2020 !⃝

    I also think this is about a guy who falls in love with a girl but too scared to say/expreseed his love for her so he says when his time come help him from all the troubles he is hard to expressed

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  11. anonymous
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    Feb 2nd 2020 !⃝

    To me this song sounds like I suicide note. To their family and friends. "When my time comes" When their time comes to die by suicide." Forget the wrong that I've done" self explanatory, forget the mistake they the person made.

    This song is the persons depression. The pain, the misery. So when their time comes leave out all the rest.

  12. anonymous
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    Aug 17th 2018 !⃝

    Im not quite sure but I miss chester & his music.....

  13. anonymous
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    Jul 15th 2018 !⃝

    Why does it have to be about he doing bad. When you have had bad done to you .... you own it it makes you be someone you don't want to be even if you hide this pain and look so strong. This song is about when you just can't go on anymore with all the things you with everyday that no-one else sees. When you end don't remember me for my pain remember me for who I am. Everything else well... leave out all the rest.

  14. anonymous
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    Mar 13th 2018 !⃝

    I believe that Lost of Likin parks songs had to deal with Chester's Depression. I feel like lots of his songs were secretly telling us all that he wants to die. This song is one I really believe is about how Chester wants to kill himself. Likin Park is still my favorite band even though Chester pasted away. He will always be loved no matter what. If only we heard his scream for help before it was to late.

  15. anonymous
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    Dec 7th 2017 !⃝

    My interpretation of the song is about my life, as far as I can remember as a child, I have been abused,emotionally,physically, mentally, and sexually, but I always forgave and always had empathy even to those who hurt me the most. I just kept loving whomever, trying to feel, and receive their love back.. Always being a people pleaser just to be accepted or loved by them. I have been time and time again been hurt or abandoned my the ones I loved and trusted the most. But always thought that the future held better for me as a . All I ever wanted was a normal loving family of my own. I thought that having my own children would be the unconditional love I had always serched for. But in fortunately in my desperate attempts I jumped in to relationships to fast and with the wrong men. See I was a open book and thought because I was so honest with who I was and wanted that everybody was like that, I wore my feeling on my sleeves. By time I found out the relationship was not or should I say the partner was not who I thought they were, I had already became pregnant, this happened for the most part six time six children with five fathers, I was pretty strong for the first four, but when I hit the age thirty years and fought with each father, two out of three of them, cared more about having to pay child support even though I told them that if I was working I did not want child support, I just wanted them to be good active fathers to their children, that it was more important for the kids to have that than to fight over money, they could not even manage that. The one u fell over heals for and had two of his children, was the one who crushed me the most, without getting into great details, he was the one who was the most deceitful, and alcohol was his true love, he was the most abusive, mentally, emotionally, and physically. In the midst of it all I who was totally against drugs, one night I went out with some what I thought were friends and got super drunk which I rarely ever did. Well the wrong friends, wrong time, emotionally that is I was introduced to cocaine, I was so intoxicated that I allowed myself to try it. Thinking that one time won't hurt me. Well guess what it did it took all the fears and years of pain andhurt and insecurities away from me and made me feel like I could do anything and made me feel like I was full of life again. As we all know that it doesn't ever last. It took my family and I into a horrible twister and the more I did the more shame and guilt held me down. Everytime I would get the strength to fight my family or my children's fathers would kick me in the teeth. All I wanted was to get back to the person and to the Mother I was before I made that fatel choice that night which I call my crossroads, I took the wrong turn. Anyway I tried to get my life back where it was before, I had three years, two years 7months and so on... My children where supporting in the beginning, then when my oldest started his teenage years. I used to overcompensate to my children and would give in and not be the mother I used was before my addiction. I was a strict mother but a loving mother and they knew that. But after my addiction I felt so much guilt and shame that I would overcompensate and from the oldest down to the youngest one by one they learned how to play and manipulate me knowing my emotions and ringing guilt. In the beginning everything I blamed on myself and my addiction. I would put myself down as a mother and as a person. But all I did by doing that was to teach my children not to have any respect for me. And by the time I started figuring it out. And started being the mother I was before my addiction. It had been too late for there was no respect there anymore. They all learn from the oldest all the way down to the youngest that I was weak and that I didn't deserve respect. By the time I started taking self-help classes and realizing that I should be valued and should have respect they were all too old and it wasn't there. So my biggest fear back to the song. Is that when I die I hope that they can forget all my bad and remember the good things about me and be able to find some value and way to respect me. That though I have made some wrong choices, and went down some wrong roads, that I was human and that nobody is perfect. That I tried to do the right things, but through it all, that there has not been a day, a minute or a second, we're I have not stopped thinking about them or loving them, a yearning for the day when they realize that and are able to fully forgive me and love, value, and respect me. Remember me for my good and leave out all the rest. I always told them that if my time comes, not to mourn me or be angry at me, to play the song "leave out all the rest" at my funeral and have a party for I will be at peace. But I wNt them to be able to let go of their resentments and only remember happy things of their memory of me, so they can move on and be happy. There is a saying that to hold unto resentment and anger towards a person is like taking poison to one self and expecting that person to die. I don't want that for my children. I want them to be able to forgive so they have a happy, loving, free from it all life. I want them to learn from my mistakes, so when they come to their crossroad in life, they take the better road. My only regrets in life is loosing the love, respect, of my children and my children having lost any value in or with me. Sincerely, A Mother's never ending Love...

  16. anonymous
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    Oct 2nd 2017 !⃝

    Everyone wants to be remembered when they are gone and for Linkin Park fans, this song will touch them more since Chester is now gone.

  17. anonymous
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    Nov 18th 2016 !⃝

    If I call you 'anonymous' I could be talking about half the population...so I'll just say, "The person who compared parts of their life with every line of the song". I've done this, and I'll do it again, right here, to show what the meaning of this song is to me.

    "I dreamed I was missing
    You were so scared
    But no one would listen
    'Cause no one else cared."

    I feel like no one would care except for maybe my mom if I suddenly disappeared.

    "After my dreaming
    I woke with this fear
    What am I leaving
    When I'm done here?"

    I know I'm not leaving very much behind if I die, excet for a bunch of junk that no one else would ever want. Really, the only thing of worth that I'm leaving behind is a memory.
    I'm skipping the pre-chorus, "So if you're asking me, I want you to know" because it really doesn't mean very much.

    "When my time comes
    Forget the wrong that I've done
    Help me leave behind some
    Reasons to be missed.
    Don't resent me
    And when you're feeling empty
    Keep me in your memory
    Leave out all the rest
    Leave out all the rest."

    I've done bad things in my life, and I hold a very strong grudge against my dad that no one knows about but me. I'm only twelve. I plan to hold this in until I'm old enough to pull a "Hollyleaf" move: Let all this out, then disappear so I don't have to deal with the reactions of everyone. When I do tell everyone, though, I feel like they'll resent me, isolate me, alienate me. When I die, I want people to remember the good things.

    "Don't be afraid
    I've taken my beating
    I've shared what I've made."

    The 'beating' would be the emotional abuse that my dad rains down on everyone, especially me and my mom. And I share a lot of things I make, whether it's a drawing, a cat toy, some other craft, or a chunk of writing.

    "I'm strong on the surface
    Not all the way through
    I've never been perfect
    But neither have you."

    This line...this one line has made me cry. I try to be strong emotionally, but it's mostly pretend. I have a weak heart when it comes to that. Although at my core, I must admit, I am cold. My desire for vengeance has frozen me from the inside. I am not perfect, and I never will be. I'm far from it.

    -Pre-chorus again-

    -Chorus again-

    "Forgetting all the hurt inside
    You've learned to hide so well
    Pretending someone else can come
    And save me from myself
    I can't be who you are."

    No one remembers why I hurt so badly, and hate him so much--but then again, I've hidden it so well that no one has any choice but to forget after a while. As for the next line, I halfway want someone to save me from the corruption I've faced since that day, but a tiny part of me wants to hold onto it, probably so I'll never forget what happened. And I feel like people want me to be like them...

    -Chorus again-

    -Bridge again-

    And you may have been wondering what I talk about when I say 'hurt' and why I hate my dad so much.
    This is a very sensitive subject for me. But I will say it.
    It was two years, four months, and six days ago, on July twelfth, 2014.
    My dad forced my mom and sister to drop off a lot of our cats by a nearby creek and abandon them there. He threatened to shoot the cats otherwise, he'd done it before. One of those cats was mine. Her name was Sunset. She was a dilute tortoiseshell with golden eyes. Very thick fur. Young. Until then, I didn't realize how much I loved her. I'd always push her away and tell her to get out from in front of the screen. As if a computer is more important than a pet. In October of that year, I realized just how much I missed her. That was just the first of many days that I cried my heart out because of her. We've looked. We've put up posters. She is nowhere to be found. After these years, it's hard to believe that there's any chance she would be alive. But the stubborn, hopeful part of me refuses to believe that she's gone forever.
    And that's not the only reason I hate him so much.
    Go to yourworldoftext.com/dad if you really want to read about it. It's far from a happy story.

  18. nobodyyouknow
    click a star to vote
    Nov 28th 2012 !⃝

    This song is saying that when we die, we dont want anyone to remember the bad. We want them to only think of the good that we have done. We all have a breaking point. And we all are the personification of this song in some way.

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